Pipe closure



Jan. 19, 1932. WILSON 1,841,511

PIPE CLOSURE Filed Oct. 21,. 1927 Patented Jan. 19, 1932 stares ra'ranrQFFECE RONALD M. WILSON, OF WAYNE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE HUFFMAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIOPIPE CLOSURE Application filed October 21, 1927. Serial No. 227,688.

My invention relates to pipe closures and more particularly to closuresfor the filling pipes of gasoline tanks which are usually installedbelow the level of the street and it is important that water and dirt beexcluded from them.

In the ordinary screw type/closure for this purpose, water accumulatesaround the cap and tends to enter the filling pipe when the 19 cap isbeing replaced.

An object of my invention is to provide a closure with a double seal inwhich the inner gasket will engage its seat before the outer one does,whereby any excess accumulation of water in the closure housing may flowout under the outer gasket.

Another object is to provide support for the inner gasket which willcompensate for wear and to allow the cap to be firmly seated on theouter gasket.

A further object is to provide simple and et icient locking means forpreventing access to the tank by unauthorized persons.

A still further object of the invention is r to so arrange the parts ofthe device as to facilitate their construction and to provide for therenewal of said parts when they are worn or mutilated.

The above objects are attained by providing a tubular housing having thebore thereof of varying diameter axially thereof affording shoulderson'which a cap and other elements of the device may seat and byproviding sleeve removably attached to the housing. The sleeve providesa seat at its upper end with which a suitable member on the cap maycontact to seal the same, a second seal being provided for contact withone of the above mentioned seats and the relationship between the twoseats being such that the sealing means cooperating with the sleeve willseat prior to the second sealing means thereby permitting the evacuationof any water about the sleeve before the second sealing means is seated,compensation or the difference for the delayed seatingof the outersealing means, be provided by means of a yielding member with which theinner sealingmeans is connected. A simple lock ing means may be providedto cooperate with all the sleeve, the latter being provided withundercut shoulders to accommodate bolts extending from the lock. Thesleeve referred to may be detachably secured in the bore of the housingso as to facilitate the construction of the bore as well as theconstruction of the sleeve particularly with respect to the undercutfeature at its lower end.

In the description of the illustrative embodiment of my invention,reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa cross sectional view, taken on the line 11 of Figure 2, and v Figure 2is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of my invention.

The closure housing 3 is preferably made of cast iron and has an openingl of varying diameters throughout its length with threads formed inthelower end of the opening for engaging the top of the filling pipe.

Slightly above the top of the threads 5, an annular shoulder 6 extendsinto opening l, the upper edge of which forms a seat 7 for a cylindricalsleeve 8 which is preferably made of steel and held against removal bypins 9.

The lower end of the sleeve 8'is counterbored to provide a seat 10 forbolts 11 of a cylindrical lock 12, the diameter of which is but slightlyless than the inner diameter of the sleeve 8. Where it is desired to usea lock having a standard housing, a ring 13, which is slightly lessindiameter than the inside of the sleeve 8, is fitted to the lock andsecured thereto in any suitable manner.

The upper portion of the sleeve 8 is threaded externally to engageinternal threads on a depending annular flange 14 of a cap 15' which ispreferably made of cast iron; the diameter of the housing 3 beingincreased at this pointto provide a recess between the inner wall of thehousing and the outside of the sleeve 8. This recess is ofsuflicientsize so that, when the cap 15 is screwed into place, a narrow channel 16is left between the depend ing flange 14 and the housing 8.

The top of the cap 15 is of. greater diameter than the flange 14', thusforming a horizontal flange which is undercut to form an annular groovein which a gasket 17 is placed[ The diameter of the housing 3 is againincreased at this point to accommodate the top of the cap 15, thusforming an annular shoulder 18 against which the gasket 17 rests.

A recess 19 of any suitable configuration is formed in the cap intowhich may be inserted a wrench for turning the cap. The one illustratedhas side walls formed by arcs of equal radii, the arcs being struck fromthe points of intersection of the arcs. As this closure is ordinarilyinstalled in a concrete walk or floor, I add grooves 20 so that the topof the closure will not become slippery from wear.

The underside of the cap 15 has a flat portion 21 with a boss 22 formedat its center and with its edges curved upwardly to merge into anannular groove 23 which extends into the inner wall of the flange 14;.

A resilient disk 24:, preferably of spring brass, is placed against theboss 22 anda gasket 25 placed against the disk, both being then suitablysecured to the boss as by a screw 26.

The housing is screwed on the top of the filling pipe, the lock 12inserted in the sleeve 8, where it will rest on the shoulder 6, and thekey turned in the lock. Access cannot be then had. to the tank as bolts11 will engage the shoulders 12 on the sleeve. The disk 2st ispreferably dished so that, when cap 15 is screwed down, gasket 25 willengage the top of sleeve 8 before gasket 17 is seated on shoulder 18. Asthe cap is screwed farther down, the resilient disk 24: holds the gasket25 firmly on the top of sleeve 8 and any excess water in the recessbetween the housing and sleeve 8 will be forced out through channel 16.

here it is desired to make the disk 24 flat, the distance between theflat portion 21 and shoulder 18 is decreased. The disk then will bendupwardly until it meets the flat portion 21 and further screwing down ofthe cap will bend the disk and gasket into the groove 23. This groove isof such depth that a perfect seal may be made when gasket 17 becomesthinner from wear, whether the disk 24 is dished or flat.

It is to be understood that the device as herein illustrated anddescribed may be changed in various details without departing from thespirit of the invention as herein set forth and as hereafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A pipe closure including a housing having an opening therethrough, acap adapted to be seated in the upper part of the housing but spaced.therefrom, thereby forming a channel between the cap and housing whenthe cap is in closed position, a gasket adapted to close the channel,and a second gasket carried by the cap adapted to close the opening inthe housing, the gaskets being so dis-- posed that the second gasketwill seal the opening in the housing before the first gasket seals thechannel.

2. A pipe closure including a housing; a threaded sleeve secured withinthe housing, a cap having a depending flange threaded to engage thesleeve but spaced from the interior of the housing thereby forming achannel between the cap and the housing, a gasket seated upon thehousing and adapted to be engaged by the cap to seal the channel, and asecond gasket carried by the cap adapted to close the opening in thehousing, the gaskets being so disposed that the second gasket will sealthe opening in the housing before the first gasket closes the channel.

3. A pipe closure including a housing, a shoulder on the housing, asleeve fixed in the housing, a cap having a horizontal flange, anannular gasket between the flange and shoulder, a depending flangeformed on the cap and adapted to be threaded onto the sleeve, a diskadapted to seal the end of the sleeve, a resilient disk abutting thescaling disk, a boss on the cap abutting the resilient disk, and meansfor securing both disks to the boss.

4. A pipe closure including a tubular honsing having an internalshoulder, a sleeve having its lower end undercut to form a recess andresting on said shoulder, means securing the sleeve to the housing, alocking device seated within the sleeve and having bolts projectableinto the recess in the sleeve, said sleeve being externally threaded atits upper end, a cap adapted for seating in tie upper end of saidhousing and having a depending annular flange provided with threadsadapted for engagement with the threads of said sleeve.

5. A pipe closure comprising a housing having a sump, an insertableclosure for said housing having a part penetrating the sump, a yieldingmember carried by the closure and making closing contact with parts ofsaid housing, a spring member carried by the closure acting upon andtending to hold said yielding member in intimate contact, and a gasketcarried by the insertable member making closing contact later than saidyielding member.

6. A pipe closure comprising a housing having a marginal rabbet withinits upper part, an insertable closure for said housing, a yieldingmember carried by the closure and making closing contact with parts ofsaid housing, a spring member carried by the closure acting upon andtending to hold said yielding member in intimate contact, and a gasketwithin said rabbet forming closing contact, said gasket making closingcontact later than the yielding member when the closure is inserted.

In testimony whereof name to this specification.

R NALD I have signed by

